


Golden Repair

by MiyuWrites



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betrayal, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-09-19 10:56:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20329990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiyuWrites/pseuds/MiyuWrites
Summary: Trust is like a mirror.You can fix if it’s broken.But you can still see the crack in the reflection.





	Golden Repair

**Author's Note:**

> _**[Kintsugi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi)**, also known as **Kintsukuroi**, is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, a method similar to the maki-e technique. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise._
> 
> **Kintsugi** is the general concept of highlighting or emphasizing imperfections, visualizing mends and seams as an additive or an area to celebrate or focus on, rather than absence or missing pieces. Modern artists experiment with the ancient technique as a means of analyzing the idea of loss, synthesis, and improvement through destruction and repair or rebirth.
> 
> _Crack_, the use of gold dust and resin or lacquer to attach broken pieces with minimal overlap or fill-in from missing pieces.

Gray sat at one of the guild tables, having his breakfast. It was still too early for him but he had some business to deal with so there he was.

The ice mage was minding his own business, eating his breakfast calmly while making a mental list of what he had to do. Then, his attention was caught, distracting him completely.

Natsu was walking towards him.

But it wasn’t the usual, confident, larger than life stride that he knew of Natsu.

No.

Natsu was walking towards Gray but his posture was off. He was fidgeting and standing awkwardly. When he sat down in front of the ice mage, he placed both hands on the rough stained wood. Looked down at them, his bangs covering his eyes.

The silence stretched on.

“Natsu?” Gray finally asked.

Silence was the only answer, accompanied by a slight head shake.

“What’s wrong?” Gray felt a pang of worry at the weird behavior of his friend.

It was just moments after these words that Natsu seemed to gather himself. Gray looked as Natsu took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and looked at him. He had a serious expression on his face and that didn’t reduce off Gray’s feeling of unease.

“Gray… I have to talk to you.” Natsu said plainly. He fidgeted fleetingly on his seat, bit his lower lip while momentarily gazing in the general direction of Gray’s face but never quite meeting the ice mage’s eyes.

“I’m listening…” was the slightly dry reply. Gray arched an eyebrow while placing his cup back on the tabletop and giving the fire mage his whole attention.

“See… there’s… ugh, I don’tknowhowtosaythis!” The last set of words were said in a rushed string, the words mashing up together.

Gray’s eye twitched slightly.

“What are you talking about?” he asked with a sigh, running his hand through his hair so that he pushed the hair away from his face.

“I… kindoflikesomeone and we’ve been friends for a while and I have no clue if the feeling is reciprocated and I’m not good with this whole feelings stuff and it sucks and I just had to _do something_, you know? And…”

“Oi! Calm down. I don’t understand half of what you’re saying. Of all the days to talk gibberish, you had to choose today, huh?” Gray said, hands raised in a placating manner. He put a slightly forced smile after his attempt at a joke but knew that Natsu hadn’t heard it.

_Natsu _likes_ someone? Who can… oh. Right. He has been spending quite a while with Lucy. It has to be her, for sure._ Gray thought as he eyed his friend. It was slightly unnerving that Natsu, who was so _in your face_, was being so elusive right now.

“I don’t know how to say it _well_, Gray.” Natsu said in a pleading tone. And finally, looking Gray in the eye.

“Why did you come to me and…” Gray started saying.

“I had to. I don’t… but you’re my best friend and I know I can count on you in the moments you’re not having your ass kicked by me.” A slight smile tilted the corner of his lips upwards.

“Not when I’m kicking yours instead.” Gray’s retort was instantaneous and they exchanged a look, a familiar and comforting feeling between them. They just loved to banter. And kick the other’s ass. But Gray was still curious. “But, seriously. What…”

“I just…” Natsu said with a tinge of wistfulness. His hands curling and uncurling into fists. Finally he placed his hands, palms up, on the table and looked at Gray again. The serious expression was back. “I had to…”

“Natsu!”

Gray watched Natsu’s mouth open and close momentarily before he let out a breath and stood.

“I have to go now. I’m going on a mission with Erza. I… I’ll see you when we get back.”

And with that, Natsu left and Gray looked on. Towards his retreating back.

The ice mage was slightly confused.

_What… what just happened?_ Those words ran through his mind as he looked back down to his plate. _Did Natsu just come here to ask me how to talk to Lucy? What the hell is going on in here?_

Half-heartedly, Gray returned to his food and drink. Still feeling quite befuddled.

Food consumed, the ice mage was finishing his drink when a new person sat in front of him.

Lucy.

Gray placed the cup back on the table and looked inquisitively at her.

The blonde mage leaned forward and extended one hand so that it sat right there in front of Gray.

“Gray, I have something I need to talk to you. It’s… it’s important.”

“What’s up?” Gray asked, frowning.

“I… I would rather tell you this in a quieter place. Come with me?” she drummed her fingers on the table, slightly. As if telling Gray to hold her hand.

The ice mage felt compelled to do so. He placed his hand in hers and she held it tight.

They stood up and walked to a more secluded area of the guild, while holding hands.

* * *

A week had gone by and Natsu felt an itch under his skin. It wasn’t an actual itch but he was anxious, twitchy almost. Not even the mission had been enough to distract him.

_What a great timing…_ Natsu thought to himself as he bid his goodbye to Erza. They had been successful but Natsu had nearly made a stupid mistake, such was his urge to finish things and go back home. _But the mission is already done, it’s over and I can go do it._ He could feel the nerves that he’d kept at bay until then were ramping up. It wasn’t good.

Quickening his stride, it didn’t take long to reach his destination.

Lucy’s flat.

He didn’t even think, just went through the motions, climbing up the wall and opening the window with a few quick, practiced movements.

He really had to talk to her. And fast. There were too many things hanging and he needed to set the record straight.

Because Natsu wasn’t as inattentive as his friends might think. It was just his way of being.

But he really needed to talk to Lucy because he was aware that she had some feelings for him. Natsu had always looked at her as a friend, to the point of it almost feeling like she was his sister. And Natsu didn’t want to lead her on. Not when there was a person he liked and to whom he needed to talk too.

But before, it was imperative that Lucy and him had all the things clear between them.

A small speech was being rehearsed in the back of his head. As well as how he would react to the celestial mage’s reaction. Quite a few scenarios were running through his head, some tinged with optimism, others not so much. But Natsu hoped fervently that they could still remain friends, better yet if things didn’t change.

Natsu didn’t like change.

And that was how, despite his hot head and snap decisions, he took his time to think about things, to contemplate, to realize. That was how he’d realized that he’d fallen for his friend, even!

A jumble of thoughts were going through his mind as his body moved with practiced ease. He’d done this so many times that he could climb into the flat almost on his sleep. And, at least, allowing him to have his mind elsewhere.

That was how he got inside, slipping through the window.

But when he straightened up and took in his surroundings, the world nearly came to a stop.

Natsu froze.

Shock coursed through him. Disbelief coursed through him.

His mouth fell open, his eyes widened in shock and it felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. The air rushed from his lungs and he became lightheaded.

The scene playing before definitely _wasn’t_ what he was expecting when he got to Lucy’s.

Gray was there, with Lucy.

They were both on the celestial mage’s bed – she had changed the disposition of the room again, Natsu noticed distantly – and Gray was balls deep in her.

For the first moments they didn’t seem to notice that an unexpected visitor had gotten inside, if the way Gray caressed her, the way she moaned and tugged at his hair and they kept moving still was any sign.

But Natsu made a noise.

That was what startled them.

Two sets of eyes turned to Natsu. A plethora of different expressions on both faces.

And Natsu… Natsu felt as if a hole had opened in the ground under his feet.

His vision whited out, he felt something drop in his stomach and something dark and vicious bubbling inside of him.

_Betrayal_.

It was a sense of betrayal that was overwhelming and nearly nauseating.

Natsu felt like throwing up, then and there. He wouldn’t have been more surprised if someone had just punched him, out of nowhere, for no reason.

He nearly stumbled back a step because of all this.

In that moment Natsu’s senses started malfunctioning, his sight was flickering, his hearing muffled to noises that had to be made, his skin felt too tight.

Then everything came back to him, in a dizzying array of colours and sound. And the two people on the bed were separating, a sheet covering them. They were _moving_.

Natsu couldn’t take it.

He turned on his heel and fled through the door.

At that moment there was only one option for him to take.

_Run_.

* * *

Later that day, Natsu found himself at the guild. It was his home, after all, and he felt like he could hide in plain sight amongst his friends.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have much luck. Gray arrived at the guild during dinnertime. He was accompanied by Lucy and they both had slightly frazzled appearances. Natsu watched as they talked while surveying the guild. Natsu gulped and tried to hide behind the small pile of dishes before him. Alas, he had no such luck. Gray noticed him. With a word to Lucy, he started walking towards Natsu. The fire mage stood and walked to the back of the guild. He would find a way to not be cornered by Gray.

But the ice mage, in a sudden burst of speed, managed to corner him.

“Natsu. We need to talk. I…” Gray started saying, looking intently at his friend.

“I don’t have anything to say to you.” Natsu replied, taking in his escape routes, his fist itching to embed itself in Gray’s face.

“Wait a moment. I need to-“ Gray pushed Natsu against the wall and bodily caged the fire mage, hands planting themselves on the sides of his head. “I just wanted to-“

At that, Natsu pushed Gray back. He was huffing and a slight tremble shook his closed fists.

“No.” Natsu said firmly and in such a gelid tone that he chilled Gray. The fire mage pushed through and was allowed to pass unencumbered.

Natsu paused a few steps ahead and glanced back at Gray. His expression didn’t let on any emotion, but his lips were pressed in a thin line.

The tension between the two mages could almost be cut with a knife.

Natsu turned and walked towards the doors, to finally leave the guild.

Maybe he should go on a solo mission. He had actually taken a leaflet for a new mission.

That should keep him occupied.

* * *

Morning came and, with it, a new sense of purpose.

Natsu had a new mission to go on. And it would be successful, of course, even if it didn’t look like anything too difficult.

With a goodbye to Happy – who was supposed to go meet Wendy and Carla – Natsu made his way to the house of the client. It was near the market so it was on his way out of Magnolia.

The mission wasn’t anything too difficult. Natsu was supposed to go to the neighbouring town of Helike, to the artisan’s quarter and hand out a precious item to be repaired.

With the parcel in hand, Natsu started walking. It shouldn’t take too long and the weather was pleasant enough for a walk. And so Natsu went. He walked calmly through the forest paths, seeing the twinkling of the river on the distance.

His mood seemed to lift incrementally, the longer he walked among the nature, the farther he got from Magnolia. There was a niggling annoyance in the back of his mind but Natsu was actively working to not let it come to the forefront of his thoughts.

But the rustle of leaves, the scent of the trees, the gentle breeze that ruffled his hair, all of that kept his mind engaged in the now, away from the sombre paths of thoughts that still threatened him.

Nearing lunchtime, Natsu had arrived. He walked decidedly into the labyrinthic streets of the artisans quarters and finally glimpsed the symbol he’d been told of. The purple fleur-de-lis circled by two concentric black circles, the outer one seemed to be inwrought by golden filigree.

After a small pause outside, Natsu went in.

After finishing the mission, with the deposit slip safely inside his bag, Natsu decided to have lunch. Unfortunately, Natsu wouldn’t be able to eat as much as he wanted. That made him want to be at the guild but a dark thought fluttered through his mind and his mood worsened.

_Let’s see what I can eat…_ he thought stubbornly, walking towards the food stands nearby.

Once his meal was done, Natsu decided to wander through the area, looking at all the different artisans and at their crafts. There was an immense variety, and lots of people too.

The din of the crowd seemed to be higher closer to the area with painters and goldsmiths worked, as well as the clothes makers and shoemakers. Natsu wandered more towards the area where potters and all the pottery were.

At one point he stopped, curiously looking at the artisan working.

He seemed to be fixing broken crockery and had a few small pots, as well as some slightly weird-looking instruments. He was working on a bowl at the moment, but there were a few more piles of pottery in front of him, waiting.

Natsu watched on as the man dipped the thin brush on the small blob of paint and kept painting.

When the man placed the bowl down, he looked up at Natsu.

“I was just… watching…” Natsu said with some hesitation. The penetrating gaze of the man made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

“You never seen this before, boy?” the man cleaned his hands to a dark grey rag.

“No. I… what’s that?” Natsu asked, leaning slightly forward to look into the bowl that was drying.

“This, is the ancient art of kintsugi. It has been used for ages as a way to preserve the pottery, while telling a story. The pottery’s story.” He waved at a shelf that had several more pieces of pottery, these ones already finished.

“Pottery has a story?” Natsu said with some levity, thinking about his not completely intentional lack of care of pottery.

“Depends, but it can have. Pottery can be like people. Actually, there is a way of thinking where people say that.” He turned and held the two pieces of a plate. Joining them together, he turned to Natsu. “Just because this plate has been broken, it doesn’t mean that you lost it. If you use the golden repair technique, it can be repaired, improved even. The break isn’t something you have to disguise but something that can be admired as overcoming the change.” The man placed the two pieces in the workbench before him once again.

Natsu nodded, thoughtfully.

* * *

The rest of the day had gone by swiftly. He’d returned to Magnolia, went to see the client as well to be paid and with that he bought something to have for dinner. Happy had returned a couple of hours after sunset. Natsu had chatted with his old friend and before long it was time for bed.

Natsu was tired as it was his usual time to sleep. Unfortunately, as soon as he lay in bed, despite the slight tiredness of the body, he couldn’t sleep.

Happy was sleeping without a care but Natsu kept tossing and turning. His brain was active.

_No use in trying to avoid it now…_ he thought at long last. _So, let’s face this_.

The words of the craftsman returned to him. Natsu could almost feel them wash over him, his mind taking him to the several steps of fixing the broken pottery.

_Something always has to be broken_. He mused. _If it’s not a bowl or a cup then it will be a relationship. Oh. That’s true. _Natsu sat up in his bed, looking out the window to the moonlit town_. There are many similarities in what that man told me and this situation with Gray. Gray…_ he let out a sigh, standing and leaving the room so as not to wake Happy up. _What a mess this is…_ with that he ran a hand through his hair and plopped down on the sofa. _So, right now my relationship with Gray isn’t… it’s not good. He betrayed me. But the fact that I have these stupid feelings for him is what is complicating everything. Why did I have to be like this?_ Natsu groaned and punched the back of the sofa. He closed his eyes tight and attempted to calm himself. _Now, what can I do? Should I talk to him? Try to mend things even if he’s the one in the wrong and who hurt me? Then again, I could – no, should – have said something. I should have tried… I should have… _Natsu sat up with a jump. Frustration bubbling inside of him and he had to curb the urge to kick his sofa. _No. He also should have reached out and… _All the fight seemed to evaporate from him, leaving him to sit heavily on the sofa once again. Tiredness made his limbs feel heavy as lead. _And now. What am I supposed to do? Talk to him? Talk to Lucy? Mend things? I… I don’t have the energy for that. No, it’s probably for the best to let things stay as they are for the moment. Better to keep my distance, in the end._

A decision taken, Natsu stood and headed to bed. He would be waking up soon and his life would be better then.

* * *

Natsu walked to the guild, distractedly chatting with Happy who was talking excitedly about the fun he’d had with Wendy and Carla the previous day. Natsu hesitated for half a beat before entering the guild’s doors. The comforting sounds, scents and sight made him relax slightly.

He was _home_.

“Hey, Natsu! You’re back!” someone said from the distance and with that the tension returned to his muscles right away.

“Hey.” Natsu said, pasting a smile on his face. “Happy, I’m going to grab some food. Do you need anything?” he asked distracted, as he noticed that Gray had seen him and was starting to walk towards him. He didn’t even hear Happy’s answer, he walked so fast towards the food.

Busying himself with getting food on a couple of plates, Natsu also steeled himself.

Sensing a person standing behind him, Natsu turned and looked dispassionately at Gray. Then he turned back to his trays, intent on getting something to drink. Blatantly ignoring the ice mage.

“Are you going to keep acting like that?” Gray asked. Natsu’s shoulders squared with tension but he didn’t say anything. “Fine. So be it.” And Gray left.

Natsu scowled down at the two trays he was holding. He’d piled up quite a bit of food as was the norm but his stomach was churning and he felt like he could throw up.

_No. I don’t want to talk to him yet. I’m not ready_. He reminded himself as he walked to a free table and set the trays. Happy had tried catching his eye but had quickly stopped, sensing the bad mood Natsu was in and knowing that it wasn’t a good sign.

“That was _not_ pretty.” Said the person who sat beside him. Natsu looked up to see who was reckless enough to come bother his brooding. It was Lisanna.

“And since when did it have to be pretty?” he retorted dryly.

“Maybe because it involved two of the prettiest members of our guild?” Lisanna flashed a grin at him.

“’m not pretty.” Natsu said with a pout. His mood was lifting slightly by talking to his old friend.

“I disagree.” She sing-songed, folding her arms on the table top and resting her head there. “But now, eat. You’re all bad moody because you need food.”

Natsu opened his mouth to argue that but, looked down at his plate and with a sigh started to eat. He ignored the victorious look his friend sent him.

* * *

Since that day, Natsu had started hanging out with Lisanna more often.

It felt good to rekindle such an important friendship.

“And so,” Lisanna was saying, “I jumped from behind the rock and he jumped so high that he fell into the river!”

The pair started laughing almost until they teared up.

“I can’t believe that! And didn’t he go after you?” Natsu countered.

“Not me. But Elfman was nearby and soon enough he found himself in the water.” She ran the back of her hand over her eyes, wiping the tears away.

“Hahaha, did they know who did it?” Natsu asked.

“Huuuh,” at that Lisanna grimaced slightly. “Mira discovered that it had been me. What a lecture…”

“That’ll teach ya!” Natsu smirked.

“Oh, shush, you.” Lisanna elbowed him on the side.

Suddenly her expression shifted, the mirth left her and her eyes looked intently at something.

Natsu frowned, and looked the same way.

A sombre air fell over them.

“Okay, out with it. What’s going on?” Natsu asked after a long pause. “You know what is going on with me, but what about you?”

Lisanna looked intently at the table, as if the wood would have answers for her. She bit her lower lip before taking a breath. She took a look around, to ensure that they were out of earshot and looked seriously at Natsu.

“You weren’t here when Gray and Lucy announced that they were a couple. Your reaction wasn’t unexpected because, well, I know you both and know _you_ still and it was noticeable that there was something _there_. I was also helping Mira the day you had that conversation with Gray.”

“Okay, I get it.” Natsu rolled his eyes. “But, what else happened?”

“Nothing much.” Lisanna said with a huff. “I just became sad because they were an item. It made my chances decrease…”

“Chances? You never cared much about Gray.” Natsu countered before his eyes widened, eyebrows arching high. “Oh… you like Lucy.”

“Yes. I like her. Have, for a while now…” she let out a dejected sigh.

“It seems to be useless for us both, huh?” Natsu added with a sad smile.

“Yep. We can only commiserate now.” A forced smile fluttered to her lips. “Or we could always give Cana a run for her money…”

“As if.” Natsu replied.

Both shared amused smiles. Unfortunately, seeing Gray and Lucy walk by wiped the smile off their faces in no time. They exchanged a sad glance this time.

* * *

Natsu lay in his bed, looking at the shadows that seemed to dance on the ceiling.

His mien was blank.

The weight of the day was catching up to him. The sense of loss raking its skeletal fingers all over his insides, making him want to curl up in pain.

The only bright light, the small moments of solace, was Lisanna’s presence. She was going through the same, even if she had more support. She hadn’t let him fall, that was the thing that had kept him afloat.

After all, a broken heart could relate to another broken heart.

Yet, Natsu had made an effort.

He was back to hanging out, eating, go on missions with the team. But he always made sure to raise his walls. He knew he couldn’t let them down.

Gray had come to interact with him as if nothing had happened, as if things were normal and they were the best of friends and rivals. But Natsu couldn’t do the same. He answered with curt and dry words, avoiding looking at him or being close to him as much as possible.

It was tiring.

The physicality of the missions and the guild brawls brought usual tiredness but what depleted Natsu’s energy the most was the need for constant walls.

He sometimes would even slip, when the normalcy was so much, when he felt that he still _knew_ Gray. He would relax a fraction but then, of course that Gray would say something and rub it in his face, shatter the illusion.

Natsu wondered about what he could do to try to reach him, to express his feelings. He was friends with him for a long time. And now…

This breach of trust was taking a big toll. The consequences were too much, as far as Natsu saw.

So, he let the air of awkwardness continue.

It was all he could do.

* * *

Natsu should really have seen it coming…

So, it turned out that Gray and Lucy had separated amicably after a while – Natsu had made sure to not be aware of what was going on with those two, beyond the professional scope – and it had been the talk of the guild. Lisanna had been the one to break the news to Natsu, even.

It should have given Natsu a renewed hope, as it had Lisanna. However, Natsu couldn’t help himself but stay in his dark cloud, brooding. He knew that it was uncharacteristic of him. He usually wasn’t like he’d been behaving as of late. But… it had been something that had shook him to his core. There were a few events that had been earth shattering to him. And Natsu prided himself of his stubbornness to withstand all the crap thrown at him and to stand back up again. Without his notice, he’d started to rely on a few select people more heavily and, at the same time, in the existence of a feeling of _family_. The guild was family but some people were as if they were even closer than it. As if they were his _blood_.

And this whole thing with Gray… it had been one thing after the other, culminating in an immense shitfest that had ripped the fortitude and stubbornness and almost to the point of taking his inner fire away.

It hurt.

So, so much.

Natsu couldn’t get over it.

So, he had hidden. Put a façade but not having much energy to maintain it. It was too quick to crumble. His grins and happy-go-lucky behaviour were muted. He was still too tired to go face the reality, the consequences of his actions.

But, he still should have expected the girls to force his hand. They were pretty slick, tricking Natsu to go on a mission with Gray.

Natsu didn’t want to go, when he realized that it was just the two of them.

So the mission had started weirdly. They were off-sync and that was also something that made Natsu notice the big gap that separated them now.

It felt like it was insurmountable. Like they could never go back to that relationship of rivals and best friends.

And if things had started shaky, they had quickly gone downhill. The mission was just odd.

And that was how Natsu and Gray found themselves stuck inside a closet. A pretty small one, to boot.

More, they were locked inside. Natsu had heard the latch close as Gray shoved him inside, the enemies hot on their heels.

Locked inside a damn minimal closet with enemies walking about. So, at the moment there was really no escape.

Natsu gave a small huff of annoyance, only to stop after having a realization.

They were locked inside – together! – and there was no way to escape. So that meant that something he’d been avoiding and dreading for too long time was in the imminence of happening.

_Maybe he won’t think of it…_ he thought, hopefully while trying to fight the itch that was getting to his nose. _Damn dust!_

Natsu turned around slowly, trying to see if they weren’t really locked inside. But the wooden wall of the closet showed no opening.

As Natsu had been moving around, trying to put some distance between them, Gray had made sure that Natsu wouldn’t escape, slowly getting closer to the fire mage.

“I guess that we can talk now, don’t you think?” Gray said in a low voice, startling Natsu, making him turn his head so fast that he nearly knocked his forehead against the other’s.

“The fuck are you talking about!” he all but hissed.

Gray grasped Natsu’s forearm, tugging at it so that Natsu would get closer. They ended up in an uncomfortable position where Natsu was slightly bent, his right shoulder against Gray’s sternum. And Gray had his mouth close to Natsu’s ear.

“This is the best chance we got. Now you can’t run away from me.” Gray said decidedly.

Natsu threw a glare to the direction where he thought that Gray’s face was. And if looks could kill, Gray would be a puddle at the bottom of the godforsaken closet.

“Doesn’t mean that I have to listen to you.” He replied coldly.

“That may be the case but, I want you to give me a chance to apologize to you. I didn’t know. I mean, that conversation we had before you left, I didn’t think that it was Lucy you liked. It couldn’t be. So I convinced myself that it wasn’t it. But I really am sorry for having gotten in the way and-“ he let out a pained hiss.

Natsu bit his lower lip in worry. Gray had gotten injured because they were two stubborn assholes. But he’d gotten Natsu’s back. Also, he was slightly in shock over Gray’s confession and apology.

“You… you think I like Lucy?” he muttered, baffled.

“Don’t you?”

Natsu shook his head. And all of a sudden a thought returned to him.

A couple of months before he’d learned about kintsugi. About how he’d also decided that it was better for things between him and Gray to be piled on a side, as broken pieces. Back then, he’d decided that it was the best option. But maybe it was time to fix things.

“Did you know that some potteries are repaired with a precious metal, like gold?” he asked all of a sudden.

“Huh?” Gray asked, completely confused.

“Kintsugi, they call it. The golden repair.” Natsu kept saying. “It’s also a way to emphasize imperfections and mend them, showing that despite it having been broken, it’s still important. Matters.”

“No… I don’t…” Gray’s voice was still wary.

“I want to ask you. Are _we_ important to mend, still?” Natsu’s question was made with a sincerity that made Gray squeeze his arm. “Is our relationship worth the process of mending?”

Gray’s mouth fell open. He blinked, even though it was overall useless. Natsu’s questions were loaded, they left a lot unsaid.

But it was at that moment that something finally _clicked_ in Gray’s mind.

“You-!” Gray started to say in a low grumble before plunging his hand in Natsu’s pink locks and turn the other’s head towards him.

Despite the harsh movements, the kiss Gray gave Natsu was soft.

* * *

It had taken quite a while but Natsu and Gray had managed to sort things out.

In the end, their relationship had come out of the ordeal stronger than ever. There was now a surety between them that showed the deep trust and care they shared.

One day, Natsu was sitting with Lisanna. And, as she’d done it to him, it was time for him to help her out.

“There’s Lucy. Go on.” He said, giving his friend a slight nudge.

Lisanna threw a reproachful look at him before taking a deep breath and go ahead. She was going to declare herself to Lucy, no matter the outcome.

Natsu sat with Gray, the two starting a silly game of elbowing each other while they waited.

Lisanna’s huge smile was all the answer he needed, in the end. Lucy had accepted.

Natsu held Gray’s hand, effectively stopping their game, and they shared a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a difficult story for me to write but, the same way as for a piece treated by this technique, it will give me a new way to continue writing.  
It's so good that in fanfiction the story can have a more positive ending than things in real life. Can be quite cathartic and wistful. If only IRL things could have the ending we wish for...  
A big thank you to Lizxcliff for the cheering and the beta. The remaining mistakes are mine, though.


End file.
